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“Lord Randall said …” Gilligan paused but then sighed and began again “We were supposed to borrow your horse The grey one The one everyone knows belongs to you But e got to the stables, none of the horses were chained in the stalls The black stallion reared and charged at the open door”

Trust Drake’s horse to be the one to fight back

“The other horses followed … and …” Gilligan griled to continue

“And what?” Miles grabbed the steward by his mud-stained cravat and shook him “Tell me”

“W-ere trying to round them up when Mr Guthrie stumbled sleepy-eyed out of the coach house”

Miles tightened his grip on the steward’s cravat “You thought to punishmy horse?” The idea was preposterous Was there no end to Rudolph Randall’s pathetic plots?

At least Lord Lovell had the backbone to call Miles out

“No, led cry and Miles released hihway robbery”

A highway robbery?

A bloody highway robbery!

While Miles found the whole idea ludicrous—the cowardly schean so hard in the stomach the bastard landed on his arse

“You’re lucky to be alive, Mr Gilligan,” he said, dragging the fellow to his feet only to put hiain “Perhaps love has er for Lord Randall to feel the full force of ed to ht be inclined to put a lead ball in your chest” Miles hauled the steward to his feet again

Gilligan cowered and tried to cover his body with his hands

“What do you say?” Miles turned to Dariell and flexed his fingers “Shall I give him one more for the road?”

“But of course” Dariell inclined his head “A man must take all punishment due”